Ore-roasting furnace.



Patented Aug. 8, i899. J. F. KEIPER. OREROASTING FURNACE.

(Application filed Apr. 23, 1898.) 2 sheets-sheet l.

No.' 630,5lo.

(No Model.)

u. NM 1 @M hn. mm. D NI xQmvumJ NNN Hm. a nm @my NV No. 630,5I0. Patented Aug. J. F. KEIPER.

ORE ROASTING FURNAGE` (Application led Apr. 23, 1898.)

-2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

(70%?? [Dmpfer .UNITED STATE-s .PATENT OFFICE.'

JOHN F. KEIPER, OF EVERETT, WASHINGTON.

ORE-ROASTING FU RNACE.

srncrrrea'rron forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,510, dated August s, 1899.

Application filed Aprnzs, lega-Estrarre. 678,637. (Nomadi) j 10 if/ZZ whom, t may Concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F.`KEIPER, a citizen of the United States, residing atEverett,I in the county of Snohomish and State of Washington, have' invented a new and useful Ore- Roasting Furnace, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ore roasting and calcining furnaces designed particularly for use in the treatment of sulfurous andfarse'nical ores; and the object in view is to provide means for accomplishing a uniform heating or roasting of the ore and more uniform distribution thereof over the surface of the hearth 4and greater facilityin depositing the ore upon the hearth andv in discharging the same therefromwhen sufficiently roasted.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a f urnace'con'structed in accordance with my invention', such a section being taken longitudinally of the hopper. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the furnace with the domed top omitted. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the hopper and an elevation of the contig' nous portion of the furnace to show' the means for securing the rabble-shaftin'its adjusted positions. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View of the hearth, taken transversely to one of thel radial discharge-openings and through the adjacent receiving-trough and the rabble.l

Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of the rabble to show the stirring andy discharging blades thereof.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of oreroasting furnaces wherein the ore is deposited upon a circular or annular hearth, and that embodiment of my invention which I deem best adapted to carry out the objects in viewincludes an annular furnace-Walll, havinga 'domed top or cover 2, provided with a radial series of ore-inlet openings','with which communicates'a feed-hopper 4, each of said oreinlet openings having a controlling slide or valve 5, whereby any desired number of openings located different distances from the centerof the'furnace may be opened to vary the rapidity with which ore is admitted to the furnace and also to control the points at which the ore is admitted.

A, 'Ooextensive with the furnace and mounted for revolu'ble movement therein is acircular u,hearthv 6, vwhich in the construction illustrated is provided with a refractory ore-re- .'ceiving surface 7, of brick or analogous material, supported by a metal base-plate 8,

`which in turn isfupheldv lby frame-bars consisting of I-rails 9. These rails a-re preferably disposed radially, and at suitable points a'plurality of the rails, as shown at 9, may

be disposed parallel with each other throughout, and the refractory surface 7 and plate 8 `may be slotted to form radially-elongated oredischarge openings 10. ARefractory -fa'cings '11 areV preferably iitted in the inner sides of therails 9, to prevent contact of the heated ore with the said rails', and each'dischargeropening is also flttedwith aucl'osure, consisting in the construction illustratedof a slide 12, tted between the lower flanges of the rails 9 and the lower edges of the refractory Afacings 11.

The hearth, as above indicated, is conabove and below the plane of the hearth, with thelower extremity seated in a socket-bearing 16, supported by a pedestal, base, or foundation 17. Also attached to the under sides of the radial frame-bars 9of the hearth is a circular track-rail 18, which tra-verses a plurality of bearing-rolls 19, each suitably mounted upon a base 20. Various means ma be rovidedfor im artinT continuous rotary motion to the hearth; but in the drawings I have deemedit sufcienttoillustrate a cable 21 or its equivalent, such as a chain, traversing spaced brackets or sprockets 22, depending from the under side of the hearth and adapted to be actuated by any suitable devices.

Mounted upon the upper end of the spindle l5 is a cap 23, an antifriction-bearing 2t, consisting of balls or rollers, being interposed between the cap and the extremity of the spindle, and mounted at their inner ends in half-bearings 25 or their equivalents carried by said cap are rabble-spindles 2G, preferably of tubular construction and extending radially of the hearth above the plane thereof and through suitable guides or apertures 27 in the side walls of the furnace. The outer endsof the rabble spindles or shafts are fitted with operating levers or handles 2S, to which are connected quadrant-arms 2f), extending through fixed guides 30 and combining with said guides to form means for securing the levers or handles 2S at the desired adjustment. In the construction illustrated the holding-arms 29 are provided with offsets or shoulders for engagement with the guides 30 when the levers or handles 28 are in a pendent position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, said levers or handles being adapted to bear against the guides when they occupy the approximately horizontal positions indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3; but it will be understood that any equivalent means forsecuring the rabble-shafts at the desired adjustment may be adopted.

The rabble-shafts, of which any desired number maybe employed, but which occupy fixed positions with relation to the furnace, carry a series of rabble or stirring blades 3l, disposed at an angle to the radius of the hearth, the blades of different rabblesha-fts being inclined in different directions to cause a backward-and-forward or radial shifting of the ore on the surface of the hearth, and distributing or discharge blades 32, which preferably extend continuously throughout the radius of the hearth, are adapted to be turned down into operative relation with the hearth when it is desired to spread the ore evenly over the surface of the hearth or to discharge the ore after being sufficiently roasted through the discharge slots or openings l0, hereinbefore described. The normal position of the rabble is that which it occupies when the rabble-blades 3l are located in operative relation with the hearth, as indicated in Fig. 2, when the operating lever or handle 2S isin a pendent or vertical position; but when it is desired to distribute or spread the ore uponv the surface of the hearth the rabble-shaft' maybe turned to an intermediate point to` depress the blade 32. On the other hand, when it is desired to discharge the ore the rabble should be turned to that position in which the diseharge-blzule 32 is perpendicular to the surface of the hearth or with the lever or handle 2S in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and also the slides by which the discharge openings or slots l0 are controlled should be moved suiliciently to allow the ore which is backed up by the discharge-blades 32 to escape through said openings.

The rabble shaft or spindle 26 is tubular in construction in order to provide for admitting thereto a cooling agent, such as water, and in order that a continuous flow of the cooling agent may be established during the operation of the mechanism to avoid the burning out of the metal forming the rabble I employ an inlet-pipe 33, extending through a loose or revoluble head 3% in the outer end of the rabble-shaft and terminating contiguous to the inner end of said shaft, and an overflow or discharge tube 85, communicating with the rabble-shaft near its outer end. The inlet and outlet or discharge tubes 38 and 35 are out of contact with the walls of the rabble-shaft.

At the center of the domed roof orcoverof the furnace I have provided a working hole or twyer 36, fitted with a suitable removable cap or plug 37, and arranged at suitable points under the hearth and preferably contiguous to the vertical planes of the rabbles are receiving hoppers or troughs 3S.

From the above description it will be seen that in operation the ore is continuously advanced and is successively moved to different parts of the interiorof the furnace, whereby the contents of the furnace are uniformly heated, and this uniform heating of the ore is accomplished without the excessive strain upon the mechanism incident to the movement thereof by means of rotary rabbles.

Furthermore, it will be seen that when it is desired to discharge the contents of the fur nace it is simply necessary to turn the rabble to bring its discharging-blzule into operative relation with the hearth and open one or more of the discharge-slots in the hearth, whereby as the latter rotates slowly but continuously the ore is backed into the slots and falls into the receiving trough or hopper.

Furthermore, it will be seen that any desired number of feed-openings, whereby ore is fed from the hopper L1- to the hearth, may be utilized in admitting ore in order to secure the desired rapidity of feed and the preferred distribution of ore upon the surface of the hearth.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

IIaving described my invention, what I claim isl. An ore-roasting furnace havinga rotary hearth provided with a central spindle and annularsupporting deviccs,and also provided with discharge-openings extending radially from the periphery approximately to the center of the hearth, Valves for controlling said discharge-openings and means for scraping the contents of the hearth into said dischargeopenings, substantially as specified.

L. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary hearth, comprising radial frame-bars, a baseplate supported by the frame-bars, and a refractory surface supported by the base-plate, a central spindle fixed to said frame-bars and mounted in a suitable bearing, a stationary cap fitted upon the upper end of the spindle to allow independent rotation of the latter, a stirring device mounted at its inner end upon said cap, an annular track secured to the under sides of said frame-bars concentric with the spindle, and bearing-rollers traversed by said track, substantially as specified.

3. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary hearth provided with an attached central upwardlyextending spindle, a cap loosely mounted upon said spindle to allow independent rotation of the latter, and provided with a bearing, and a rabble-shaft mounted at its inner end, to turn in said bearing, substantially as specified.

4. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary hearth, a rabble located above the hearth and having interchangeable rabble-blades and a discharging-blade, and means for securing either of said blades in operative relation with the hearth, substantially as specified.

5. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary hearth, a rabble located above the hearth and having a revoluble blade carrying spindle mounted in fixed bearings, arranged approximately parallel with the surface of the hearth and adapted to be turned to remove its blades from operative relation with the surface of the hearth, and means located exteriorly of the furnace for securing the spindle in its adj usted positions, to maintain the blades in the desired relation to the plane of the hearth, substantially as specified.

6. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary hearth, a rabbleA located above the hearth and having a spindle carrying rabble-blades and l a discharging-blade, and means for securing the spindle at the desired rotary adjustment, with either of said blades in operative relation with the hearth, substantially as specified.

7 An ore-roastin g furnace having a rotary hearth, a rabble located above the hearth and having a revoluble spindle arranged radially with relation to the hearth, rabble-blades on said spindle inclined to the radius of the hearth, and means lfor securing the rabblespindle at the desired adjustment, substantially as speciiied.

8. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary hearth, a rabble located above the hearth and having a revoluble spindle arranged radially with relation thereto, rabble-blades on said spindle inclined to the radius of the hearth, a continuous discharging-blade on the spindle arranged in angular relation with the rabbleblades, and means for securing the rabblespindle at the desired adjustment, substantially as specified.

9. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary hearth provided with discharge-openings, a

. rabble having a rotary spindle located above the hearth and carrying rabble-blades and discharging-blades disposed in angular relation,y an exposed operating lever or handle attached to the rabble-spindle, and means for securing said lever or handle at the desired adjustment, 'substantially as specified.

10. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary heart-h provided with discharge-openings, a rabble having a rotary spindle located above the hearth and carrying rabble-blades and discharging-blades disposed in angular relation, an exposed operating lever or handle attach ed to the rabble-spindle, and means including a segment-bar attached to the lever or handle, and a fixed guide through which said segment-bar extends, the latter being provided with offsets for securing the lever or handle at the desired adjustment, substantially as specied.

ll. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary hearth, and means for agitating the contents thereof, a feed-hopper, and feed-openings communicating with the hopper and disposed in radial series above the hearth for discharging the contents of the feed-hopper upon the surface of the hearth, said feedopenings being each provided with independent controlling devices, substantially as specied.

12. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary-hearth, and means for agitating the contents thereof, a feed-hopper, and feed-openings communicating with the hopper and disposed in radial series above the hearth for discharging the contents of the feed-hopper upon the surface of the hearth, and independently-movable controlling-slides for feeding the openings, substantially as specied.

13. An ore-roasting furnace having a rotary hearth, in combination with a rabble having a tubular revoluble spindle carrying rabble blades, and extending at one end through the wall of the furnace, 'means for adjusting the spindle, a cap fitted in the end of the spindle, and inlet and discharge pipes extending through the cap and communicating with the interior of said spindle, for admitting and exhausting a cooling agent, substantially as specified. A

14. An ore-roasting furnace having a revoluble hearth provided with radial framebars including pairs of parallel I-beams, said hearth having a refractory surface provided with slots registering with the interval between said parallel beams, refractory facings, and slides supported by the flanges of said I-beams for. controlling the discharge of ore through the slots, substantially as specified.

`In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. KEIPER.

Witnesses:

LoUIs P. HEYBRocK, HARRY H. WELLER.

ICO

IIO 

